16 August 2008
Dream Team coach, Samson Siasia, who made up with his players after castigating them for perceived indiscipline in camp, has vowed to stake his life in today's crucial Beijing Olympics quarter-final match against the Junior Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire.
The anxiety among Nigerians and even in the Dream Team's camp in far away coastal city of Oinhuangdao in China, the fear of meeting an Ivorian challenge after the 2006 and 2008 experiences at the Egypt and Ghana Nations Cup is palpable.
Before the last group game against USA, arguments were raised among Nigerian fans on which team between Argentina and Cote d'Ivoire would be easy 'meat' for coach Samson Siasia and his wards in the quest to move ahead and possibly repeat the feat of the 1996 squad under the captainship of Nwankwo Kanu. Kanu.
For those who preferred the Olympic team play against the Ivorians, their confidence stem from the historical fact that at junior levels, Cote d'Ivoire have never really proven to be Nigeria's Achilles Heels and it may not start with the Salomon Kalou-inspired Junior Elephants who sneaked into the quarter-final courtesy of a slim 1-0 against hapless Australia.
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